


One Way to Celebrate

by Too_Many_Seeds



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Implied Smut, gratuitous birthday cake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 04:50:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17780885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Too_Many_Seeds/pseuds/Too_Many_Seeds
Summary: A surprise birthday hike for Jacob goes a little awry. Time to improvise.





	One Way to Celebrate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tribunal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tribunal/gifts).



> My gift for tribunal for a little exchange!   
> I hope you enjoy <3

The room hadn’t been inhabited in some time, she thought. It wasn’t rundown, but it had the echoing silence of a home that hadn’t been  _ lived  _ in properly in. She stepped inside, minding the pile of old shoes at the side of the entry mat and blinked to adjust to the gloom. 

Behind her, Jacob entered, swinging the door shut with a firm click. The angry winds outside resisted the pull, but he managed, and Asya sighed at the relief from the sharpest hit of the cold. Her hands ran up and down her arms, rubbing for warmth and she took a moment to feel the hint of blood rushing back into her windblown cheeks. 

“Yeah, this’ll do,” Jacob muttered, glancing around. Asya raised an eyebrow but said nothing, trusting that he probably knew what he was talking about in this case. 

It was a simple cabin, a main living space with a kitchen and two rooms and a bathroom off to the side. She unclipped her pack and set it down by the kitchen counter, shaking it to rid it of the worst of the water. Unfortunately, she hadn’t fully closed the zip before she’d set off with Jacob earlier in the day. She dreaded even glancing at the contents.

“I can’t believe this,” she muttered, clenching and unclenching her fists to try and get rid of the burning cold at the fingertips. “This was supposed to be  _ your  _ day.” 

He scoffed, setting down his own pack and grabbing a nearby bucket and shaking it to rid it of the dust. 

“See if you can find some blankets,” Jacob said, already heading towards the nearby bathroom. “And towels.”

She eyed the nearby cupboard, but raised an eyebrow.

“There’s running water here?” Asya asked, skeptical. 

“I said his  _ family  _ didn’t live here,” Jacob called back, turning a tap to confirm that yes, there was functional water. “He still uses it. Think he must have only left yesterday.” 

She briefly wondered what sort of life this ‘hunter’ Jacob had claimed to know lived if his family were living at a church compound while he regularly stayed away. It had been a blessing though; the storm had come upon them suddenly, and she hadn’t fancied staying out in the freezing rain - no matter how much of a nature nut Jacob claimed to be. The cabin he’d pointed out had belonged to a man who worked for him - Asya had been too preoccupied to ask what he  _ did  _ exactly - and they’d thankfully come across it soon enough. 

“Are you seriously filling up a bucket?” She asked, raising an eyebrow as she dropped the scavenged blankets on the table. Set up on the table was a photo frame; a snapshot to the former inhabitants; a man - the hunter, she presumed - and two young girls in pink and blue with beautiful braided hair and ear-to-ear grins - his daughters, she guessed. 

“For our hands, get ourselves used to heat again,” Jacob called back, drawing her attention away from the photograph. “Help us warm up. Then maybe have a shower.” 

She scoffed, but still dipped her hands in the bucket when he placed it on the kitchen table. The water was nowhere near boiling, and seemed to just be warm enough to get rid of the chill. 

He joined her, waiting for a few moments as he clenched his hands and unclenched them in the warmth. Finally, he withdrew them and made his way over to the bathroom, telling her it would be best for them to get properly heated up. 

“We’re nowhere near hypothermic,” Asya said, even while she caught the towel he threw her way and began to pat herself down. Truthfully, she hated the cold - having come from a hotter climate - but well, she had to poke at him somehow. 

“I still don’t want to be cold,” Jacob replied, and gestured for her to join him. “Your choice though.”

“Why don’t we get warmed up together in some more...creative ways?” She said, as suggestive as she could manage despite being soaked from head to toe. “It could be interesting.”

He clearly didn’t think so.

“No fucking in the shower,” he said, deadly serious. “Do you know how many accidents happen that way?” 

“You’re hopeless,” she scoffed despite her smile, crossing her arms. “It’s a bit of fun.”

“There’s nothing fun about safety.”

She couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head at him in exasperation. 

“You’re a bundle of joy today, you know that?”

He flashed her a smile, smug before he stepped into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar. She waited a moment, just to make him wonder, before she followed in behind him. 

The warm water was... _ refreshing _ to say the least. 

When she finally emerged, she winced as she hung up her soaked clothes to dry, Jacob doing the same beside her. She padded her way over to her pack, shuddering again at the drop in temperature from the shower to the living room, and stared forlornly at it. Asya wasn’t sure whether she wanted to look inside and see what had survived the water.

“You know, for a surprise hike,” Jacob began, setting the fireplace up to give them some merry warmth, “I would’ve thought you’d check the forecast.” 

Her eyes widened.

“I did!” She replied, whirling around and staring indignantly at him. “I’m not an idiot. It said it was going to be clear!” 

A particularly strong gust of wind chose that moment to send a splatter of raindrops against the nearby windows. 

Jacob grinned and Asya huffed, crossing her arms and turning away again. 

“Well, s’alright,” Jacob said, lighting the fire; sending a warm, flickering glow through the room. “Can’t say I’m complaining about getting to spend time with you.” 

She really couldn’t be blamed for the blush that spread across her cheeks at  _ that. _

He managed to stoke the fire into something bright and cheery, and he was preparing a rather cozy looking setup of couch cushions and blankets. It was just as she was about to take a step towards him that she suddenly remembered.

“Oh no,” she muttered, eyes closing in defeat. 

Asya reluctantly set her pack up onto the counter and slowly unzipped it; not wanting to see...definitely  _ not  _ wanting to see it.

Water had well and truly drenched the bag and there, lying pitifully on top of her spare pants, covering cellophane dotted with holes meant to let it breathe, was the birthday cake. 

Or rather, what was left of it. 

“Oh,  _ no _ ,” she repeated in a groan, wincing and clenching her eyes shut. She took a quick breath and looked at it again. Shockingly, it hadn’t changed. 

Jacob walked up behind her and she braced herself as he glanced over her shoulder. 

“You made a cake?” He asked, and she wondered if she was imagining the surprise there. 

She frowned.

“I tried,” Asya replied, and then sighed. “I don’t think it’s survived that much.” 

He hummed and reached inside to grab the box, picking it up and staring at the soggy contents. 

“I think some of it’s salvageable,” Jacob said, setting it down on the counter and peeling the cellophane off. “Can’t let it go to waste.” 

He grabbed a knife from the nearby rack and she cracked open the plastic plates she’d brought - thankfully sheltered from the rain, unopened as they’d been. 

A lot of it was unusable, but Asya still ended up with a plate of soggy...  _ something.  _ And she at least managed to stick a little candle in the mess that was Jacob’s piece of cake, lighting it up and vaguely likening it to a sad buoy in the sea. 

“Do you want me to sing the song?” She asked, grinning and leaning over towards him. They’d migrated over to his little setup by the fire; the two of them with legs curled under soft blankets as they balanced their plates on their laps. “ _ Haaa- _ pppy”-

“I’m going to stop you right there, honey,” Jacob said, chuckling but she spotted the reddening tips of his ears. 

Jake really didn’t like being the center of attention. She’d respect that, even if there was something endearing about the sheepishness. 

“Party pooper,” she teased, poking him with the tip of her fork. 

He shrugged.

“It’s  _ my  _ party, isn’t it?” He asked, and there was a beat of silence before the corner of his lip quirked up. “I’ll cry if I want to.” 

Asya made a disgusted noise.

“Really? You’re quoting Lesley Gore at me, now?” She said, leaning over to knock her shoulder against him. “You’re lucky I love you.” She was silent for a moment, seeing him pause, hearing the way he slowly inhaled - as though he were savouring it, the sound of her voice and the closeness of her. She smiled to herself, the warmth in her chest feeling almost greedy somehow. “How’s the cake?” 

He hummed, noting her topic change but not commenting on it. 

“It’s good,” he replied, and turned his head to face her; expression soft. “You didn’t have to make me anything. You didn’t have to  _ do  _ anything. Not for me.” 

“I wanted to,” Asya insisted, smiling. “Couldn’t let you get away without at least a birthday hike.” She deflated a bit, glancing out at the rain-splattered window. “I’m just sorry it turned out like  _ this. _ ” 

He took another bite of his soggy cake.

“It’s perfect,” Jacob murmured, giving her a soft glance. “Wouldn’t want anything else.” 

It didn’t take them too long to finish the ‘cake’, and soon enough, they were putting Jacob’s cozy creation of pillows and blankets to good use; snuggled under the soft fur and the fire merry beside them. What with muscles beginning to tenderise from the earlier trek - as half-finished as it was - she was grateful for the chance to breathe, to relax in his arms. He’d even helped set her up at the foot of the couch, positioning pillows to help her feel enclosed in a corner and safe. She hummed contentedly and allowed herself to drift; eyes shutting and sneaking her towards sleep. 

So, naturally, he had to ruin it.

“You know, as far as birthday’s go,” Jacob began, staring over at the empty plates that had held his ‘gift’, “I guess you can say this one...takes the  _ cake _ .” 

“I hate you,” she replied flatly, and no, she was not pouting at his pun. Not at all.

He chuckled, drawing her even closer towards him; her radiator in the cold. 

“Love you too, honey.”

* * *

 

The following day, when they would finally make it back to civilisation, Asya would unfortunately come to the realisation that she had checked the weather for the  _ wrong  _ day. And no, Jacob will not be letting her live it down any time soon. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! <3 <3 <3


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